“Engrossing, well-researched… This sure-footed history addresses important issues, such as the lack of racial diversity and gender parity for much of the genre’s history.” — Wall Street Journal

“A gift to science fiction fans everywhere.” — Sylvia Nasar, New York Times bestselling author of A Beautiful Mind

Astounding is the landmark account of the extraordinary partnership between four controversial writers—John W. Campbell, Isaac Asimov, Robert A. Heinlein, and L. Ron Hubbard—who set off a revolution in science fiction and forever changed our world.

This remarkable cultural narrative centers on the figure of John W. Campbell, Jr., whom Asimov called “the most powerful force in science fiction ever.” Campbell, who has never been the subject of a biography until now, was both a visionary author—he wrote the story that was later filmed as The Thing—and the editor of the groundbreaking magazine best known as Astounding Science Fiction, in which he discovered countless legendary writers and published classic works ranging from the I, Robot series to Dune. Over a period of more than thirty years, from the rise of the pulps to the debut of Star Trek, he dominated the genre, and his three closest collaborators reached unimaginable heights. Asimov became the most prolific author in American history; Heinlein emerged as the leading science fiction writer of his generation with the novels Starship Troopers and Stranger in a Strange Land; and Hubbard achieved lasting fame—and infamy—as the founder of the Church of Scientology.

Drawing on unexplored archives, thousands of unpublished letters, and dozens of interviews, Alec Nevala-Lee offers a riveting portrait of this circle of authors, their work, and their tumultuous private lives. With unprecedented scope, drama, and detail, Astounding describes how fan culture was born in the depths of the Great Depression; follows these four friends and rivals through World War II and the dawn of the atomic era; and honors such exceptional women as Doña Campbell and Leslyn Heinlein, whose pivotal roles in the history of the genre have gone largely unacknowledged. For the first time, it reveals the startling extent of Campbell’s influence on the ideas that evolved into Scientology, which prompted Asimov to observe: “I knew Campbell and I knew Hubbard, and no movement can have two Messiahs.” It looks unsparingly at the tragic final act that estranged the others from Campbell, bringing the golden age of science fiction to a close, and it illuminates how their complicated legacy continues to shape the imaginations of millions and our vision of the future itself.

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Astounding is a sharp and detailed history of some of the major players in one of the most significant periods in modern science fiction. Highly recommended!-- "Greg Bear, author of Blood Music"

This is a fascinating, well-written, and deeply researched account of the golden age of science fiction. The lives of the writers are every bit as compelling as their best stories and Nevala-Lee brings them alive.-- "Jon Atack, author of Let's Sell These People a Piece of Blue Sky: Hubbard, Dianetics and Scientology"

[Astounding] is a major work of popular culture scholarship that science fiction fans will devour.-- "Publishers Weekly (starred review)"

A big biography of John Campbell, the genius magazine editor who created a mass market for science fiction, couldn't be timelier. Alec Nevala-Lee's granular portrait of Campbell and the quirky superstars whose careers he launched in the 1940s and 1950s is a gift to science fiction fans everywhere.-- "Sylvia Nasar, New York Times bestselling author of A Beautiful Mind"

A riveting read-a journey to another dimension, one that tells us a lot about creativity, human resilience, and even American exceptionalism. The book is a must read for lovers of science fiction, to be sure, but really for anyone interested in culture, and how it jumps, bounces, and changes.-- "Cass R. Sunstein, New York Times bestselling author of The World According to Star Wars, and Robert Walmsley University Professor at Harvard Law School"

Science fiction has been awaiting this history/biography for more than half a century....Here it is. This is the most important historical and critical work my field has ever seen. Alec Nevala-Lee's superb scholarship and insight have made the seemingly impossible a radiant and irreplaceable gift.-- "Barry N. Malzberg, author of Beyond Apollo"

Alec Nevala-Lee has brilliantly recreated the era eighty years ago when a handful of dedicated writers and one extraordinary editor gave American science fiction its modern shape. It is a remarkable work of literary history.-- "Robert Silverberg, Grand Master of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America"

The golden age of science fiction, spanning the years 1939 to 1950, gets an authoritative examination in this fascinating appraisal of its key players...A major work of popular culture scholarship that science fiction fans will devour.

-- "Publishers Weekly (starred review)"

Astounding has taught me things I didn't know; put in context things I did know; and corrected things I thought I knew. This is a wonderful, well-written book; a delight to read.-- "David Drake, author of Hammer's Slammers"

A laser-sharp study of science fiction's golden age, the product of a small circle of writers and their guiding editor...Nevala-Lee's warts-and-all look is a welcome contribution to the study of popular literature.-- "Kirkus Reviews"

“Engrossing, well-researched… This sure-footed history addresses important issues, such as the lack of racial diversity and gender parity for much of the genre’s history.” — Wall Street Journal

“A gift to science fiction fans everywhere.” — Sylvia Nasar, New York Times bestselling author of A Beautiful Mind

Astounding is the landmark account of the extraordinary partnership between four controversial writers—John W. Campbell, Isaac Asimov, Robert A. Heinlein, and L. Ron Hubbard—who set off a revolution in science fiction and forever changed our world.

This remarkable cultural narrative centers on the figure of John W. Campbell, Jr., whom Asimov called “the most powerful force in science fiction ever.” Campbell, who has never been the subject of a biography until now, was both a visionary author—he wrote the story that was later filmed as The Thing—and the editor of the groundbreaking magazine best known as Astounding Science Fiction, in which he discovered countless legendary writers and published classic works ranging from the I, Robot series to Dune. Over a period of more than thirty years, from the rise of the pulps to the debut of Star Trek, he dominated the genre, and his three closest collaborators reached unimaginable heights. Asimov became the most prolific author in American history; Heinlein emerged as the leading science fiction writer of his generation with the novels Starship Troopers and Stranger in a Strange Land; and Hubbard achieved lasting fame—and infamy—as the founder of the Church of Scientology.

Drawing on unexplored archives, thousands of unpublished letters, and dozens of interviews, Alec Nevala-Lee offers a riveting portrait of this circle of authors, their work, and their tumultuous private lives. With unprecedented scope, drama, and detail, Astounding describes how fan culture was born in the depths of the Great Depression; follows these four friends and rivals through World War II and the dawn of the atomic era; and honors such exceptional women as Doña Campbell and Leslyn Heinlein, whose pivotal roles in the history of the genre have gone largely unacknowledged. For the first time, it reveals the startling extent of Campbell’s influence on the ideas that evolved into Scientology, which prompted Asimov to observe: “I knew Campbell and I knew Hubbard, and no movement can have two Messiahs.” It looks unsparingly at the tragic final act that estranged the others from Campbell, bringing the golden age of science fiction to a close, and it illuminates how their complicated legacy continues to shape the imaginations of millions and our vision of the future itself.

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5.0 out of 5 starsThe Golden Age of Science fiction and the feet of clay therof

31 October 2018 - Published on Amazon.com

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Fascinating reading. I was a fan of many of the authors mentioned but had no idea of the back story. Now some of the plots of the classics of Science Fiction make more sense in context.

Anyone can read this and learn quite a bit, but for a former Scientologist like me it opens a new door. Many have commented about L Ron Hubbard's sources and influences. You can see traces of his dependence on Korzybski and Norbert Wiener in his works but put in context it seems more like a case of direct plagiarism than one of inspiration.

Taking credit for the works of others and glorifying his own role - that was the essence of Hubbard. Truly at the end there is no there there (thanks Gertrude Stein). Hubbard is revealed as more like one of the ads in the back of an old copy of Popular Science than a scientist. But if you watch the slick TV ads or watch Scientology TV you would think he was a genius to rival Newton and Aristotle.

True believing Scientologists know nothing about these historical facts, which is a necessary part of the indoctrination that radicalizes them. Books like these really help the recovering former Scientologist peek behind the curtain. Thank you, Mr. Nevala-Lee!

5.0 out of 5 starsWell researched and engaging bio of Campbell and his primary writers

1 November 2018 - Published on Amazon.com

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Anyone with a passing knowledge of the Golden Age of science fiction knows of the four men named on the cover, but the amount of details available about each of them varies. Little has been published about John W. Campbell, but this book remedies that, using Campbell as a central figure and telling his story, both alone and through his interactions with the other three. The product is a great biography that is both readily readable and wonderfully satisfying.

In the case of the Asimov, Heinlein, and Hubbard, all of whom have the subject of previous biographies, Nevala-Lee expands their stories by showing their faults along with their virtues. One of my favorite aspects of Astounding is the amount of attention paid to the women. Many of these women wielded vast influence on the four men and on science fiction itself. With the exception of Virginia Heinlein, previous works have, at best, relegated these women to the sidelines, or worse, cast them into the role of villain and hung all of the man’s faults and missteps on them.

Astounding tells the story of these figures instead of just chronologically listing facts about them, resulting in a book that even a casual fan will appreciate.

5.0 out of 5 starsA wonderful overview of the impact of some greats on Science Fiction

24 October 2018 - Published on Amazon.com

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I came into this book knowing a lot about Heinlein, a little about Hubbard, and almost nothing about Campbell and Asimov. I thought the author did a fine job comparing the lives and their impact. Each of the three well-known as authors have other large/long biographies written about them, and this book is a fine way to integrate Campbell's bio within the larger context of those men and the golden age of science fiction. Highly recommended.

I was a reader of Analog Science Fiction during John W. Campbell’s declining years, and for a while collected many of the issues of the “golden age” when he revolutionized science fiction. I’d never realized what complicated personalities Campbell, Heinlein, Asimov, and Hubbard were.

This book provides a fascinating series of parallel biographies, focusing on four men’s lives rather than on their stories. Campbell was a brilliant editor who leaked great ideas to his writers, but also fell afoul of weird ideas (not only Dianetics). Asimov wrote around 400 books, but couldn’t stop himself from pinching any woman he met. Hubbbard, well, shall we say he was probably the worst of the big four the book discusses, a deeply flawed person who managed to deceive even his friends. Heinlein may be the most sympathetic character of the lot. I hadn’t realized how often the paths of these four men crossed over the years.

Even if one has no interest in science fiction, the book is a revealing portrait of remarkable men. If one does like science fiction, one will learn a great deal about the backstory.

I like SF and have followed it for years, but I'm not a dedicated fan, whereas most my interest lies in other areas. But as soon as I found out about this book I knew it would be a must read and hoped it delivered, which it did in spades. The time period is fascinating and provides a window on a moment in American history and culture that is sometimes is easy to reduce, but the book opens up the complexity that SF writers were in dialogue with the greater culture. All the subjects of the book, Campbell, Hubbard, Heinlein, and Asimov, are treated fairly and in a balanced way. Having read a few biographies and autobiographies of the individuals themselves, this book brings them all together in a way that illustrates how their relationships were as important as their individual achievements. I feel like I understand the Golden Age of SF in a way that I quite didn't before, and I will never be able to read the Foundation Trilogy, Future History, or the Robot stories in the same way ever again - and I mean that in a very good way.